TOP 5 RISING
CHEFS 2008 Jonathon Sawyer

The chef puts it this way, "I am 28, have two kids and feel like I'm 38." This family man has had kitchen inspirations for over 15 years—since he was a kid cooking in the kitchen, his brother serving as mentor. Early motivation led him behind the lines, bouncing back and forth between Cleveland and New York City's great restaurants. Sawyer cooked at Michael Symon's Lola, at Kitchen 22 under the tutelage of Charlie Palmer—and again for Symon at Parea where Sawyer took the lead, preparing small plates that may have inspired his own rustic Italian cooking at Bar Cento. Sawyer's an environmental activist, propelling the Cleveland "green scene." Look for his gastropub, Greenhouse Tavern (complete with self-sufficient rooftop greenhouse, recycled paper walls and energy efficient appliances), to debut sometime in 2009. His philosophy: Let the environment dictate what he'll cook.